Shades of the Past
by NancyY
Summary: AU Crossover - Charlie's AngelsRookies - Sabrina must face her past.


Author: NancyY  
  
Disclaimers: I do not own the characters from The Rookies or  
Charlie's Angels, and will not make a Dime from them, or this  
story. I retain the rights to my story concept, and any  
characters I have created.  
  
Rating: PG - 13 for violence  
  
Summery: Sabrina must face her past - a Rookies/Charlie's Angeles Crossover.  
AU Warning - because I did not want to try to tie up every  
continuity problem.  
  
Archive: I can't imaging anyone wanting to, but go ahead - as  
long as you tell me where it is going.  
  
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The Past - Chapter 1  
  
Sabrina deftly juggled her purse, an over-full bag of groceries, and the office keys, finally managing to balance the paper bag on her raised knee, tuck the purse under one arm, and turn the key in the door lock without dropping anything. As she pushed the door open, she was surprised - for just a moment - to find she was the first one here. Then she remembered that she was here earlier than usual, at Charlie's request.  
  
"...Need that coffee..." she mumbled as she dropped the purse on the floor by the sofa, on her way to the small wet bar/kitchenette to unload her grocery bag. Freshly ground gourmet coffee beans had been the first thing on her list.  
  
The phone rang, and she reached across the countertop to hit the speaker.  
  
"Sabrina?" Charlie's rich voice filled the office. "Is that you, and are you alone?"  
  
"Present as requested." she replied as she started the coffee brewing. "Why all the mystery, Charlie? What's up?"  
  
His voice softened, "Sabrina, sit down for a moment and listen to me."  
  
She stopped and raised an eyebrow toward the phone, as though he could actually see it. "Charlie, you're beginning to scare me. What is it?"  
  
She heard him take a deep breath, and she waited with barely concealed impatience for him continue.  
  
"Are you sitting?"  
  
"Yes Charlie." She sighed with exasperation as she flopped down on the sofa.  
  
"Sabrina, the Agency has been approached for a case that will affect you personally, so I wanted to talk to you about it first - alone. If I choose to accept this case, it will bring up the past............... " he paused, then added, "...........your past."  
  
Sabrina felt a cold finger of dread trace it's way up her spine. "Past?" she whispered.  
  
Charlie continued, "We have been asked to assist in an ongoing inter-agency investigation originating in Los Angeles. It seems that the Justice Department, working with the LAPD, have reason to believe that Neville Barkley may have re-entered the US."  
  
He paused for another deep breath. "It seems that they believe we are uniquely suited to assist with their investigation, and we both know why."  
  
The blood had drained from Sabrina's face at the mention of the man's name. The nightmare was beginning again............... She could feel the room closing in - her heart beating erratically, and her fists clenched almost involuntarily.  
  
"Bri.......we are not committed to anything yet. Let me tell you what we know at this point. It's your choice as to how we proceed." His words were soft, and spoken very, very gently.  
  
Revelations - Chapter 2  
  
Thirty minutes later, Bosley, Kris and Kelly arrived and walked into the office at the same time. Noticing Sabrina sitting on the sofa, Bosley turned to give her his usually cheery greeting, then stopped dead in the middle of the room, causing Kelly and Kris to slam into his back like a miniature train wreck. All three stared at her, taking in her body language and expression. Bosley was the first to shake free of his shock.  
  
"Sabrina? What's wrong...............?" he started, already heading toward the sofa. He took in her posture; every line of her body displayed her tension. Her legs were drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped protectively around them - shoulders slumping. Her forehead was lowered, resting heavily on her knees. Bosley had never seen her like this before, and a sharp pang of fear knifed through his chest.  
  
Kris and Kelly were right behind him.  
  
Charlie's familiar voice startled them, so intent were they to get to Sabrina and find out what was wrong.  
  
"Angels....Bosley....is everyone there?  
  
Kris replied, as she dropped to the floor next to Sabrina and leaned on the sofa. "Yes Charlie. What is it?"  
  
"Charlie, what's wrong? Why is Bri so upset?" Bosley still approaching her carefully, as if she were a wounded animal in a trap.  
  
He sat down gently next to Sabrina on the sofa. Wordlessly, Kelly perched on the armrest on the other side, resting her hand on Bri's arm. Sabrina lifted her head and met Kelly's worried eyes. Startled, Kelly almost pulled away. For just a moment, a different person looked back at her. Then, the moment passed, and it was Sabrina who looked away.  
  
"Sabrina and I have been discussing a new case. I wanted to speak with her privately first, since the details will involve her on a personal level. I left the choice up to her, as to whether or not we would accept it, and Sabrina has decided that the possible benefits to all concerned from solving this case outweigh any personal difficulties this may cause her."  
  
He spoke very gently, "Sabrina, do you want me to start?"  
  
After a long and painful silence, Sabrina unfolded her legs and stretched, releasing some of the tension from her muscles. A wry smile crossed her face as she glanced at each of her friends in turn, the cold knot in her stomach warming a bit at their unconditional support. She slid her legs to the floor, taking care to miss Kris, who turned to rest her shoulder against Sabrina's knees.  
  
"It's my 'Past', and I'm afraid that I am the only one that can explain it - thanks anyway Charlie."  
  
Kris interjected, "Bri, you don't have a "Past". Then she hesitated, "Do you?"  
  
"Everyone has a past." Sabrina said - her brown eyes haunted.  
  
"There is no easy way to explain this," she said, almost to herself. She pulled a pillow around from the back of the sofa and settled it in her lap. Unconsciously she began to wring the corners. It was always hard for her to sit still - at this moment, it was even harder than usual. She wanted to jump up and run away, to leave the past where it belonged - far behind her. Her breathing became more rapid and shallow, and the pillow in her lap began to lose its shape entirely.  
  
Kelly smiled encouragingly at her, rubbing Sabrina's arm gently, trying to offer what comfort she could. "Bri, to use an old cliché - just 'begin at the beginning'. "  
  
"Remember - you asked for it." Sabrina replied, "Before I entered the Police Academy." she paused and took a deep shuddering breath. "My name was not Sabrina Duncan - it was Jill Danko."  
  
Kris gasped. "Sabrina, what are you sa........?"  
  
Charlie interrupted firmly. "Let her continue, Angels."  
  
Sabrina's expression had closed, and her voice, when she began to speak again, had lost all inflection.  
  
"Four years ago, I was married to a wonderful man, was a registered nurse, and was expecting my second child. Mike was a good police officer, a wonderful husband, and just the best Father............... " Sabrina's eyes lost their focus as she continued. "Although I worried about Mike each and every time we said goodbye in the morning, until he came off duty each night, we were happy. Our first daughter, Katie was 2 years old, and I was expecting our second child, when..........."  
  
Sabrina's voice drifted into silence as she stared straight ahead, her eyes focused on something only she could see.  
  
"Sabrina?" Charlie prompted softly.  
  
"Oh.Yes........well... " She hesitated, then took another deep breath to shake out the cobwebs from her mind. "Mike and several other officers from across the country were asked by the FBI to participate in an operation to bring down a major player in an arms smuggling Cartel that was funneling weapons from California, Oregon, and several other states, to militants in South America. They were posing as dirty Cops - taking money to look the other way as the arms, drugs and cash flowed in and out of their districts. They would do anything from fixing parking tickets for the Cartel, to acting as curriers - anything that would allow them access to the inner workings. Their contact was an Englishman - Neville Barkley. At that time, Barkley was an agent for MI6, but he had a few, shall we say - "income sources" on the side."  
  
"Mike knew it was dangerous, but his role was really a very small one - or so he thought at the time - but he believed the benefits far exceeded the risk. This Barkley was placing drugs in the hands of children, and as Mike looked in Katie's eyes, he saw Barkley's next victim. He did it for his children........"  
  
Sabrina's voice caught again, and she struggled to continue. "Understand, Jill Danko was not aware of any of this at the time, or she would not have allowed it. Even knowing the benefit to society and all that, she would have stopped Mike somehow. His own child needed him too. She needed him................"  
  
Kelly had sat quietly, listening without interrupting. She was taken aback when Sabrina discussed "Jill Danko" in the third person, but she tried to hide her concern. She opened her mouth to comment, but closed it sharply as she met Bosley's eyes over Sabrina's lowered head. He was shaking his head slightly - now was not the time. When Sabrina did not continue, she asked, " Bri, I understand what you have said so far, but I can't imagine how this leads to a completely new identity for you. What happened to Mike - to your daughter?"  
  
"This operation spanned over 2 years, from what I was later told. Over time, Barkley began to view Mike as more of a friend, and not just a contact. You have to understand, Mike was...special. Genuine. He had the most guileless face...............it was part of what made him perfect for the operation. You just couldn't believe he would double cross anyone. Even the fact that he was supposedly 'on the take' couldn't wash that away. As Barkley came to see Mike as a friend, Mike's involvement in the operation deepened, and the FBI took advantage of the relationship."  
  
Sabrina hesitated again, and then plunged ahead. "I was never told exactly how it fell apart - I suppose it was classified. Something or someone blew Mikes' cover, though, and ......................."  
  
She shifted uncomfortably on the couch and then pulled her legs up to her chest again, folding her body around the now mangled pillow. Her usually warm brown eyes were almost black, and her demeanor was bleak and hopeless. In a soft voice, she continued.  
  
"Mike and I had a rare weekend off at the same time, and we headed up the coast to visit his cousin. It was a beautiful day, just a hint of clouds on the horizon - you know - when the air is clean and fresh, and you can almost feel the rain that's coming? Perfect weather. Katie was sound asleep in the back seat, and for the first time, Mike had been telling me a bit about the operation - just an outline, really, but enough to scare me. I was hurt that he had left me out of the loop. I was afraid, too. We began to argue about it. I wanted him to pull out, but he felt it was too important." Bosley, still sitting beside Sabrina, felt a tremor ripple through her body. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to lean against him, but she did not seem to notice. He tried to keep his fear for her in check - just offering warmth and friendship, but it was a loosing battle. He tried to just concentrate on her soft, anguished words.  
  
"There was no warning before we felt it. The first impact threw Katie against the back of my seat. I heard her cry out as my head hit the dashboard. Mike drove through it, though, and stayed on the road. I could barely see through the blood that ran into my eyes as I reached back over the seat for Katie. I could just make out the truck that had hit us - still right behind us. The road was narrow, and there was a canyon on the left........ "  
  
Her voice became emotionless and remote. "They had to hit us three more times before they managed to push us over the edge of the cliff." She ignored Kris' gasp. "We fell forever, then noise, and pain, and darkness.............."  
  
"I remember blood. So much blood. The car was on its' side, I think, but Mike had fallen on top of me, his blood dripping into my eyes. I couldn't move, couldn't see. I felt I was being crushed, and I tried to wake Mike, to push him off of me, then realized that his neck was nearly severed.......dead............ tried to get enough air into my lungs to scream, but I couldn't breath..............."  
  
Her tremors increased. "I didn't know where Katie was. I tried again to call out, and then heard someone sliding down into the ravine.............they stopped a few feet away from the car. I....I..........I heard him say.............." Sabrina choked as her breathing became even more erratic - she couldn't form the words.  
  
Charlie interrupted gently. "Sabrina, let me finish."  
  
She nodded slightly toward the intercom; then dropped her head onto her raised knees.  
  
"Angels, Jill heard the man stop, then call up the hill to another person that a child had been thrown from the car and crushed as the car fell. He had nearly stepped on her." Kelly's hand closed convulsively on Sabrina's shoulder as Charlie continued, "Jill heard the other man slide down the hill, then both men examined the car. Jill was almost completely hidden by the dashboard and Mikes' body. They could see he was dead, and, from the amount of blood in the car, assumed she was dead as well. From where she lay, she could see the men's faces as they looked in, and she heard a name - Neville Barkley. It seems that Mikes betrayal was personal for him, so he destroyed Mike and his family personally. After only a cursory look, they climbed back up and left"  
  
Charlie continued, "Over 24 hours passed before someone parked at the lookout above spotted the wreck and called the police. Jill spent that 24 hours pinned under Mike, knowing he was dead, and that her daughter lay just a few feet away."  
  
Sabrina's quiet sobs cut through the silence. Kelly and Bosley wrapped their arms around her and held her.  
  
"When Jill was pulled from the wreckage, she was critically injured. Shattered pelvis, severe head trauma, cracked sternum, damaged liver and spleen. But the hardest thing for her was the loss of her unborn child. She nearly bled to death from the miscarriage before they could free her."  
  
Kris turned her tear-streaked face toward Charlie's speaker, and though he was here with them. "Oh my god, Charlie...."  
  
Sabrina pushed herself away from Kelly and Bosley, sitting up straighter and taking deep breaths, the tears already drying on her pale face. After several minutes, her friends were astonished to see that much of her composure had returned. Something about listening to Charlie describe the events allowed her to distance herself from them. It was in the past. Over and done with.  
  
Kelly saw the emotions play across Sabrina's face, and was worried at her iron-willed suppression of them. Remembering her friend's behavior during the first few months they worked together, it suddenly made sense. Sabrina's reckless disregard for her own life during several cases suddenly fell into perspective. Kelly could feel the tears gathering in her eyes as she realized the pain that her friend had been suffering. She said nothing, though, as Sabrina took up the thread where Charlie had left off.  
  
"Mike's supervisor, Lieutenant Ryker, had been involved in the operation and was aware of Mikes' role. He made sure that I was taken to a secure hospital, and stayed with me while I was debriefed. He told me that Barkley had left the country before he could be apprehended, but the Cartel had operatives throughout the US. If they discovered I was alive, I would be killed to prevent any testimony against Barkley. Ryker had friends in the FBI, who arranged my 'Death'. He also spoke to his old friend Charlie Townsend, who arranged for the Justice Department to provide me with a new identity. "  
  
She looked at each one of them in turn as she spoke. "Understand - for months I didn't care what arrangements they made. My life was gone and I just wanted to die. I don't really remember the weeks after the crash. Nothing concrete at all. As I slowly began to scrape together a new existence, it didn't really matter who I was - maybe it was even easier to become someone else entirely. "  
  
"Eight months after.....Ryker asked me what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I decided I wanted to enter the Police Academy. I think he was horrified, but I never wanted to feel helpless again. It seemed the right thing to do - coming full circle, I guess. When Sabrina Duncan graduated with full honors, she was able finally lay Jill Danko to rest, and start to build a new life."  
  
A small sad smile crossed her face. "It seems that Charlie had discussed his idea to create a female driven detective agency with my friend Ryker, and Ryker recommended me for a job after graduation. I believe you know the rest. I have been fortunate to find both work and a family here. But I guess the past just won't stay buried."  
  
Bosley, Kelly and Kris were still too stunned by the revelations to comment, so Charlie continued. "Ryker was approached last week by the head of an inter-agency task force trying to bring Barkley and the Cartel down. They have reason to believe that Barkley has entered the country for the first time in four years, and is currently in Los Angeles. They want to lure him out into the open. Once he is in their hands, they believe the information they can extract from him would be enough to destroy the Cartel."  
  
"And just how can we help 'lure him into the open'?" asked Kris. Then, understanding began to dawn. "No Charlie............"  
  
Sabrina reached down and squeezed her hand, nodding. "Exactly."  
  
Charlie continued, "The only mistake Barkley ever made was leaving Jill alive. Because he felt betrayed by a friend, he committed the murders himself - and his anger made him careless. We may be able to play on that, and fan his anger and sense of betrayal into a fire that will cause him to act with less than his usual precision. "  
  
"What's to stop him from killing Sabrina from a distance, or hiring someone to do it for him?" Kelly asked.  
  
Charlie interjected, "I may have an answer for you. I have Agent Farber from the CIA in my office as we speak."  
  
The unseen FBI agent said, " In answer to your question Miss Garrett - nothing, except that he personally killed her husband. We feel that he will want to have a direct role in finishing what he started, based on our profiles of his personality. We truly believe he will try to grab her himself, and deal with her one-on -one. If he does, we'll be there to intercept him."  
  
"Unless he kills Sabrina first." Kelly added, worried.  
  
"I understand the role Sabrina will play in this case, Charlie, but what will our roles be?" asked Kris.  
  
Charlie, paused, then responded, "You keep her alive."  
  
The Snare is Set - Chapter 3  
  
The day had dawned bright and sunny, with clear skies forecast for the rest of the week. The office of Charles Townsend Investigations was crowded with agents, Angels, and miscellaneous surveillance devises, communications systems and weaponry. It was an ideal base of operations, thought Bosley as he walked through the door, but a bit of an inconvenience. He swore under his breath as be tripped on one of the myriad of wires cris-crossing the floor.  
  
Bosley carried a copy of the Tribune tucked under one arm, with its feel- good cover story on yesterday's dedication of the Michael Danko Memorial Interchange. He had read the touching story of the officer's widow attending the ceremony with interest, and some trepidation. Spotting Sabrina ensconced on the sofa surrounded by CIA and FBI agents, he tossed the paper into her lap. "You made the front page."  
  
She flipped it open and read the article, noting each "talking point" for the scenario she was rehearsing with Kelly, Kris, and the agents. Jill Danko was becoming more of a construct with each passing hour. With each added layer of deceit and fabrication, Sabrina was finding it easier and easier to play the role. Regaining her composure under pressure allowed her to focus on what was important - destroying Mike and Katie's killer.  
  
Ahhh...here is it..............  
  
Sabrina smacked Kelly's arm with the edge of the newspaper to get her attention. "This is the part...."  
  
..............Jill Danko, a nurse at Riverton Memorial Hospital, was delighted to attend the dedication of the Michael Danko Memorial Interchange in honor of her late husband. When asked what her husband would have thought of the ceremony, Mrs. Danko told reporters that her husband would have been proud, but would have felt unworthy of the honor.  
  
"With this angle, Barkley will know that I'm still alive, and it should annoy him to no end that Mike is being honored." Sabrina noted, continuing to read.  
  
"It's a little sad, and ironic to have this interchange named after Mike, ," Mrs.' Danko's cousin, Kelly Garrett, commented to reporters after the ceremony. "Since the accident, Jill doesn't drive."  
  
"That gives you a reason to drive me to work every day," She continued.  
  
Mrs. Danko was the only survivor of the crash that claimed her family, and came through the tragedy with little memory of the incident. Reporters from the Times spoke with Doctor Samuel Ortiz, a leader in the field of traumatic injury, and were told that such memory loss can and often does improve over time.  
  
"That should rattle his chain," Bosley added in a forcibly light tone, noting the crinkle of newspaper where Sabrina's hand had tightened.  
  
Foul play was suspected in the crash that killed officer Danko and his daughter, but the evidence was circumstantial, and there were no witnesses.....................  
  
Sabrina's voice trailed off. She folded the paper in half and tossed it to Bosley. "If that doesn't do it, nothing will." As she caught the worried expression on Kelly's face, she added, " Hey, look on the bright side, you get to play chauffer!"  
  
Kelly patted her arm comfortingly. "Time to enter the twilight zone," she half joked. "Let's get you to the hospital before your shift starts."  
  
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Each day for the next week, Sabrina stepped out of Kelly's car each morning, worked her shift as Jill Danko, slid back into Kelly's car at the end of the day, and slept in the apartment rented for the operation. She was vaguely aware that the FBI was watching her, but she had slipped into the routine with surprising aplomb.  
  
She felt almost numb. Each day drifted into the next, and her fear began to fade away into the responsibilities of her shifts at the hospital. She knew that Kelly, Kris, and Bos were worried about her, but they rarely talked about it. She made sure that her small gun was accessible when she was off duty, secreted lock-picks in the sleeves of her sweaters, and paid attention to her surroundings, but beyond that, she left the worry to the government agents, and her friends. All things said and done, it would be up to them to ensure her safety. Her only role was to provide a target.  
  
If her placid response was uncharacteristic, no one mentioned it.  
  
Four days into the operation, she was awakened by the phone beside her bed. Responding to its insistent ring, she reached across her pillow and pulled the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Mrs. Danko?" an unfamiliar masculine voice inquired.  
  
"Yes, who is this?" She responded, and was hardly surprised when the caller immediately disconnected.  
  
It was starting.  
  
As she rode with Kelly to work the next morning, she was aware that more eyes were probably watching - and not out of a concern for her continued good health. By calling to verify that it was indeed Jill Danko who lived in the apartment, she knew that wheels had been set in motion, and it was only a matter of time before Barkley or his people made a move.  
  
Kelly, wanting to break Sabrina out of the pensive mood she was in, reminded her, "Don't forget Bri, you have an ace in the hole. Barkley is expecting Jill Danko, a timid nurse who is too afraid to drive. He won't be expecting Sabrina Duncan - armed and dangerous."  
  
Sabrina allowed herself a small feral grin, "Yeah, you've got that right - armed and very dangerous. Of course - armed with a lock-pick and the odd bit of pocket lint at work, since I can't carry a weapon in the Hospital."  
  
Shaking her head in resignation, she slipped out of the car with a final smile, "See you later."  
  
Kelly waited until Sabrina out of earshot. "You'd better." she whispered to herself.  
  
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The day had been hectic, and Sabrina was exhausted by noon. She tipped her chair back, leaning her shoulders against the wall as she sipped coffee in the break room, trying to bring her caffeine levels up so she could finish the day without collapsing.  
  
In the hallway, a visitor was chatting with the pretty, young reception desk nurse, trying to inveigle a date for Friday night. In the ICU, a hand reached unseen toward a monitor above a critical patient.................  
  
"Code Blue, ICU," a voice boomed over the PA, " Dr. Smithson to ICU, STAT!"  
  
From all corners of the Hospital, nurses and staff engaged in a well- choreographed dance of life - each performing the familiar steps as they descended on the ICU. Sabrina has tossed the empty paper cup that she had been crumpling in her hand into the bin as she raced out of the break room to fill her station. As she passed the linen supply room nearest the ICU, an arm shot out, covered her mouth and dragged her inside with the speed and effectiveness of a trap-door spider. Before she could fight or even call out, she felt the painful prick of a needle in her arm, and sagged against her assailant.  
  
An unconscious Sabrina was bundled into a laundry cart and quickly covered with dirty bed linens. Two men in white shirts and slacks rolled the cart out of the closet and into the controlled chaos of the hallway, nonchalantly pushing the cart out of the service entrance and into a waiting van without incident.  
  
The entire operation took less than two minutes.  
  
As the van rolled past the guard station, and then turned slowly out of the parking lot and into the street, the agent dressed as a hospital janitor who had been assigned to watchdog Sabrina, realized that he had not seen her in several minutes. As he moved through the corridors trying to find her, he was already using his hidden wire to inform central command.  
  
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"How could you have lost her?" shouted Bosley, standing just outside the service entrance doors, nose to nose with the FBI Agent who had been tailing her. His fists were clenching and unclenching at his side as he fought the sudden and overwhelming need to pound the man into the pavement. The man stepped back with surprise, since up to this point he had viewed the middle-aged detective as something of a buffoon. A senior agent hurried over, pulling the cowering man aside.  
  
"I assure you, Mr. Bosley, we are taking steps to find her. The Hospital is locked down, and if Barkley has intercepted her, odds are they are still here. We have initiated a top-to-bottom search of the facility."  
  
Kris ran up to Bosley, ignoring the agents beside him. "Bos, I have a list of the vehicles that left between 12:00 and 12:15. These two looked promising." She pointed to a notation from the guard's log. "This laundry truck left at just the right time. Umm............and also the catering truck."  
  
The agent shook his head. "Not probable, since all of the service vehicles and vendors were checked out before being allowed to enter. Also, we believe the window of time between the last sighting and the lockdown was only 5 minutes. It would have taken longer than that to get her out of the building, especially, if, as you say, she is trained in self defense."  
  
Turning his back on the agents, Bosley took Kris' elbow and guided her back into the lobby, where Kelly was speaking with the receptionist. He motioned her over.  
  
"Kelly, why don't you track down the Laundry Service van, and Kris and I will check out the Catering Wagon. I'm sure we can get the company names and addresses from the receptionist." He locked his worried gaze on first one, and then the other of the Angels. "It beats sitting here waiting for the Feds to get it in gear."  
  
Old Fears - Chapter 4  
  
A pounding headache pulled Sabrina slowly and painfully back to consciousness. She blinked several times, and then grimaced - it felt as though her eyes were full of sand. Before moving, she took stock of her situation, and noted with discomfort that she was laying on the cold cement floor of a small, dimly lit room. Her arms were handcuffed above her head to a pipe protruding from the wall farthest from the door. The only light seemed to be coming from a small window or opening directly above her head.  
  
Her shoulders and wrists were sore from bearing the weight of her body, and her hands tingled from the lack of circulation, so she gingerly scooted up to lean her back against the wall behind her, relieving some of the pressure. She sat motionless and listened carefully for several minutes, but heard no sounds and felt no vibrations that would indicate activity nearby.  
  
Sabrina felt a strange and unreasonable calm. This was the moment she had feared since Mike's death. Captured, isolated, and at the mercy of his murderers, but to her amazement, she realized she was no longer afraid - she felt only anger. Her mind was preternaturally clear, and she began to play "What if" scenarios over in her mind, trying to determine her best courses of action. She tried to focus on situations where she had a chance. If Barkley or one of his men simply entered the room and shot her, no amount of planning would make a difference. Since she was still alive, she hoped that scenario was unlikely.  
  
As the feeling began to return to her to her hands, Sabrina tried to reach around the thick pipe and free the lock-pick hidden in the cuff of her sweater. She finally eased it out, and, gripping it tightly, began to work the lock on the cuffs. She manipulated it slowly and carefully; if she dropped it, it could mean the end of the game.  
  
Concentrating on the lock, she almost missed the sudden sound of footsteps just outside the room. Palming the lock-pick, she clenched her fingers around it. She knew she must not drop it, no matter the provocation. She had decided how she would play this first contact with Neville Barkley, and hoped she would survive the meeting.  
  
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The grating sound of a deadbolt drawn back broke the silence, and the door swung open slowly. The bright light from the corridor temporarily blinded the woman huddled against the wall. Barkley smiled as he noted her fear; her exotic brown eyes were wide with terror. As he entered the room, she cowered against the wall, sidling as far away from him as the handcuffs would allow. "Please, don't hurt me." she whimpered as he approached, her voice high-pitched and tremulous.  
  
He stood over her, enjoying the moment. "Do you know who I am, my dear?" he asked in a cultured voice as he leaned over her.  
  
She shook her head frantically, "No", she whispered.  
  
Barkley smiled, with no humor touching his lips, "Your husband knew me well, little Jill," he said, enjoying the way she flinched as he lowered himself slowly to one knee in front of her. Reaching out and gripping her jaw painfully with his right hand, he jerked her face up close to his, lifting her slightly off the floor. "What did he tell you about the Cartel and Neville Barkley?" He needed to find out what she knew before he killed her. If she had confided anything to the police, or even to friends or family, it could compromise him later. He didn't think it would take too long to beat the facts out of this timid little mouse. That he would obtain a certain satisfaction from tormenting Mike Danko's wife was an added bonus.  
  
Dropping her face, his fingers dug into the folds of her sweater, tightening it painfully across her chest - still holding her off the floor. When she still did not respond to his question, he backhanded her several times forcefully, snapping her head sharply from side to side, the heavy gold signet ring on his middle finger cutting cruelly into the sides of her face.  
  
When he let go of her sweater, her head dropped back against the wall with a resounding thud and she literally saw stars. He stood up and stared down at the barely conscious woman. "You will talk to me, little one. You will talk."  
  
She looked up at him, the pain in her eyes plainly visible. Smiling, he started to turn away, than drew back his right foot and landed a vicious kick to her side. Her agonized scream was a fitting accompaniment to the wet popping sound of her ribs breaking, Barkley thought as he leaned over her again. Her scream died to whimpers and she tried to curl around the pain, her fist clenched tightly above her head; the cuffs cutting cruelly into her wrists. He turned her face to his again and said brightly - wagging his eyebrows in what he thought would a humorous manner. "You see, we have ways of making you talk!" Smiling, he rose and headed for the door - he had always wanted the right opportunity to use that line.  
  
Sabrina tried to breath slowly, ignoring the pain, concentrating on the mantra that scrolled through her head the entire time Barkley had been beating her. *Don't drop it.....don't drop it.....don't drop it.......*. She focused on keeping her fingers locked around the lock-pick. She would have no chance at all if it fell out of her reach. Carefully, she worked it around in her fingers and began to fiddle with the handcuffs. The pain in her side increased as she struggled with the lock, so for a distraction, she added to her mental monologue, *don't drop it...kill the arrogant bastard.... don't drop it.... wipe the smile off his ugly face.... don't drop it.... *  
  
To the Rescue? - Chapter 5  
  
Bosley and Kris thanked the owner of Catz Catering service for allowing them to interview the driver and cook who worked the route that included the hospital. As they walked back to the car, Bosley shook his head. "That would have been just too easy."  
  
"Too right." replied Kris as she slid into the driver's seat. "I wonder how Kelly is doing with the Laundry Service."  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
Kelly walked slowly around the charred remains of the laundry truck, wishing its carcass would suddenly provide the answers she needed. "One last time," she repeated, trying to keep the distraught business owner's attention on her questions and off of the wreck, "What was their schedule? When did they last check in?" She was frustrated but was very thankful that she had been speaking with the man at the company's main office when the call came through to inform him of the 'accident'.  
  
Wringing his hands as the bodies of his employees were removed from the truck and placed in body bags, he replied distractedly, "They bring in loads three times a day. They missed their second drop - which is usually around 12:45............What am I going to tell the insurance company?"  
  
After verifying that there were only two bodies in the vehicle, and that Sabrina's was not one of them, Kelly grabbed the owner by the shoulders and steered him back toward her car. "I need the route that this truck followed." she ordered as she drove toward the office. As she deftly swept around slower vehicles, not quite speeding, she reached for the car phone. "Bosley, I've got something, meet me back at the office in 30 minutes..............." she started.  
  
------------------------------------------------------- Back at the office, Kelly, Kris and Bosley huddled around a county map, with the route for the laundry truck highlighted in bright yellow. Kelly traced her finger along the path, fighting a feeling of hopelessness.  
  
"This covers at least 15 square miles," Bosley groaned, overwhelmed by the enormity of it. "We don't even know if they chose this truck because it was close, or if they chose it because it was far from their operations."  
  
Kris added, "The Task Force has searched in and around all of Barkley's old haunts, with no success. I don't think we are going to have any more luck." Tears began to form in her eyes; "Barkley isn't going to keep her alive very long, if he hasn't killed her already."  
  
"We can't help her........." whispered Kelly, reaching over to grasp Kris' hand. Bosley gathered them both up in his embrace and held them tightly.  
  
Endgame - Chapter 6  
  
Sabrina's breath came in short, painful gasps as she fought to unlock the handcuffs. They were tight enough to cut off her circulation, which made it difficult to manipulate the lock-pick with the required dexterity. The swelling around her eyes from the battering she had received made it difficult to see the mechanism, so she worked mostly by feel.  
  
If she could not free her hands before Barkley returned, she knew she would die.  
  
Just as the cuff on her left wrist sprang open with an audible click, the door opened and Barkley stepped inside. She kept her hands on the pipe, opened her eyes wide, allowed frightened tears to track down her face, and whimpered in terror, "Please.... Please don't hurt me anymore." Inside her head a new mantra played in time to her shallow breathing, *come closer....... come closer......closer...*  
  
Barkley had asked his man to wait in the car; he didn't need him for this. He was certain, now, that she knew nothing of her husband's involvement with the Cartel. She would not have been able to keep it from him if she did.  
  
All that was left now was revenge.  
  
"Why are you doing this to me?" a ghostly, painful voice whispered from the floor.  
  
He looked down at the cowering woman, and moved to stand directly in front of her. "Your husband betrayed me. He was playing me for the CIA, and one of his fellow Cops told me. Funny what a few thousand extra American dollars under the mattress will do." He leaned over her, pulling a gun with a silencer out of a hidden shoulder holster and pointing it at her. "Jill, my dear, I told Mike that anyone who double crossed me would suffer my wrath, to the tenth generation. I do so want you to understand why you are dying."  
  
He ignored the shifting of her body as he whispered directly into her face, "Say hello to Mike for me."  
  
As he started to swing the barrel of the gun toward her forehead, Sabrina swung both her joined fists into his temple and slammed a knee up between his legs in a single, fluid motion. Her momentum carried her forward and to the side, and she scissored her long legs around his as he started to fall backward, jerking him sharply to the floor. She had lost track of the gun when they both hit the floor, and quickly scanned for it as she slid away tried to stand. Her ribs, which had been strangely numb during her attach, began to hurt with a vengeance. Keeping an eye on Barkley, who was trying to get to his feet, she used the pipe behind her to drag herself to her feet. Then, flipping the open handcuff over her right hand, she cold-cocked him with every bit of strength remaining, using the cuff like brass knuckles to increase the force of the blow. As it connected, she gasped as a bone snapped in her hand.  
  
Barkley toppled over to land heavily on his side, but immediately struggled weakly to get up.  
  
Sabrina saw the gun beside him and dived for it, pushing it away from his grasping hand and snatching it off the floor. Breathing in gasps, she aimed it directly at his head, ignoring the pain in her hand. As she stood there, watching him struggle to regain his feet, she realized it would be so easy...........just one shot and it would be over.  
  
No more fear. Sweet revenge.  
  
Shaking with reaction, she finally whipped the butt of the gun around and brought it down forcefully on the back of his head, dropping him bonelessly to the cold floor. She rifled his pockets for the handcuff keys, and was almost surprised to find them. Using the last of her strength to drag his dead weight to the back wall, she cuffed him to the pipe.  
  
He would be there for the task force to interrogate.  
  
Exhausted, the pain in her side almost overwhelming, she slowly made her way out of the small room into a large, open warehouse. Pressing her left arm against her ribs for support, and ignoring the pain in her face and hand, she headed for the only visible door. She held the gun ready, knowing that Barkley probably had not come alone.  
  
Sabrina edged along the wall to the window near the door and scanned the parking lot and the street beyond. She could just make out a car parked in front of the building, almost out of her line of sight - its occupant reading a paper. If she could see him, he would have no trouble noticing her, should she open the door.  
  
She made her way to the other side of the building, looking for another exit, but the only other door she found was padlocked. Near the back wall, she spotted small window, and gently slid it open. Her ribs protested violently as she pulled herself up and trough the window, sliding through and down to the pavement outside with nothing like her usual grace. As her feet hit the cement, she felt another 'pop' and suddenly the pain in her side magnified, making it hard to breath. She slid down the outer wall to her knees, wrapping both arms around her middle and tried to quiet her ragged breathing. Holding her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, she coughed, amazed that the pain could still get worse. As she pulled her hand away, she saw that it was covered in blood. Realizing that she was not going to be able to function once the adrenaline wore off, she decided to make her move.  
  
Leaning on the wall for support, she edged to the front of the building to peer around the corner at her adversary. Her luck seemed to hold - he was still engrossed in his newspaper. Sabrina quietly dropped to her knees and sidled unnoticed to the passenger side of the car. Noting that the passenger door was not locked, she shifted her weight against the side of the car. Moving herself slightly to one side, she whispered a small prayer to whatever deity might be listening.  
  
Pressing her back against the car, she reached across her chest to grasp the door handle with her right hand, holding the gun firmly in her left. The adrenaline pumping through her system temporarily deadened the pain in her side, and she tried to take a deep breath.  
  
Silently and without warning she yanked the door open and swung up gun first into the passenger side. As her body followed the gun into the car, she screamed, "Freeze!" At the first sound, the man had dropped the paper and was fumbling in his jacket, exposing his hidden gun. As he started to draw it, Sabrina pulled her trigger, blasting him back against the driver's side door in a spray of blood.  
  
She froze for a moment as the realization of what she had just done hit her. As she stood there, the pain in her side began to grow, and each time she exhaled, it became harder to draw another breath. She crossed around the back of the car, yanked the driver's side door open, and allowed the body leaning against it to fall heavily to the pavement at her feet. Kicking his legs out of the foot well, she pulled herself painfully into the car, and, feeling the keys in the ignition, started it. She slammed it into reverse and whipped the car around. With tires squealing, she peeled out of the abandoned parking lot and onto the street.  
  
Epilogue  
  
"Where is she, Bos - is she OK?" Kelly asked for the third time that morning as they waited for Charlie's promised call. "We need to know what's going on. It's been 10 days with no news at all."  
  
The phone rang and Kris reached over to hit the intercom. Charlie's deep voice rolled through the room. "Angels." He began, but was swept away in a flood of questions. "HOLD IT Angels!" he boomed over the noise.  
  
Shocked silence.  
  
"First point of business - Sabrina is just fine." He continued as though he had not been interrupted. "As you know, she made it to a payphone and called me before passing out. I arranged to have her airlifted to a secure medical facility for treatment, and debriefing." His voice softened, "She's fine."  
  
Kelly was the first to voice the question that had worried them all for the last ten days. "Charlie, Sabrina's not coming back to the agency, is she? I mean, she's still in danger from the Cartel, and now that they know Jill Danko is alive, they will have a reason to search. They could find her..........." Her voice drifted off.  
  
"Oh, I don't know." A familiar voice, cracking with emotion, piped in from the doorway. Sabrina smiled at them as she slowly closed the door behind her and began to make her way carefully to the sofa. Before she could reach it, she was swarmed. "OUCH!" she gasped as Kelly and Kris hugged her gently. "Watch the ribs!"  
  
They helped her to the sofa and sat gingerly down beside her. Bosley had remained at his desk during the Angels' exuberant greetings. Catching Sabrina's eyes, he stood slowly, walked over to stand in front of her and with the utmost care, cupped the sides of her face gently in his hands. "We missed you." he said gently, then kissed her forehead, noting the fading bruises.  
  
Charlie cleared his throat, and everyone jumped - they had forgotten he was there.  
  
Bosley sat down at the desk, smiling. ""Charlie, you have our undivided attention."  
  
"Sabrina - Angel - welcome back." Charlie's voice was warm and welcoming.  
  
Kris, worried, asked Sabrina, "Is it safe for you to be here? Can you stay?"  
  
Sabrina smiled, "Probably not, and yes"  
  
Charlie added, "Sabrina has decided to stay with us for the time being. The Cartel does not know about Sabrina Duncan, and since the identity has been established for so long, it is probably as safe as any other option. I think that they may have enough on their plate right now. Barkley has proved to be an invaluable informant."  
  
"Will it be enough to break the Cartel, Charlie?" asked Kelly hopefully.  
  
"Only time will tell." He replied.  
  
Bosley turned to Sabrina, "What about Jill Danko? Her life? Your memories? "  
  
Sabrina looked at each of her friends in turn, hoping that they knew how grateful she was for their friendship and support. "My past is just that - past. My only regret was leaving Katie and Mike behind. They deserved so much better. Now that you know, I can talk about them - remember them."  
  
She added. "I refuse to worry about the future, the Cartel, or anything else. While I may regret the events that brought me here, I don't regret my life now, as Sabrina Duncan, as an Angel, as your friend."  
  
Kelly walked over to the bar and poured four drinks. As the Angels and Bosley each took one, Kelly raised her glass to make a toast. "To no regrets."  
  
Cheers! 


End file.
